The Central Bureau of Investigation,CBI, today conducted simultaneous searches at 20 places in Tamil Nadu in connection with a case pertaining to evasion of Customs Duty in the import of luxury cars.

A team conducted searches on the premises of DMK leader M.K. Stalin based on information that his son Udhayanidhi Stalin was using an imported car. However the four-wheeler was not found in the house.

A senior CBI official clarified that no case was registered against Mr. Stalin or his family members.He said that the agency sleuth only went to his house in search of the car.The agency said that the searches were in accordance with procedure and not intended to target any particular individual.

The Prime minister Manmohan Singh has said that the raid was not ordered by the government.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram also said he disapproved of the CBI raids on DMK leader and Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin as it is bound to be misunderstood.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi said he did not want to speculate as central ministers had said they weren't aware of the raids.

CBI spokesman Dharani Mishra said that the probe into tax evasion was initiated by the Directorate of a Revenue Intelligence,DRI, a couple of years ago. At least 30 luxury cars were imported from different countries and the provisions of the Transfer of Resident norms were abused for the purpose.

Customs Duty to the tune of 20 crore rupees was not paid by the beneficiaries.The official said that Prima facie it appears that the DRI officials did not take action either to recover the tax or confiscate the cars.She however added that investigating agency conducted the operation strictly in accordance with procedures and there was no intention to target any particular individual.

Information and B'casting Minister Manish Tiwari while dismissing the reports about misuse of CBI, said government has never used the agency as an instrument of tools of politics.